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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. present — the time now
  4. game — wild animals
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — the underground
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. race — the arms race
  14. game — a match
  15. race — a contest
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. present — there
  18. tube — a container
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. plane — a tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com